Romantic Honeymoon Ideas?

[Coyfish]

Hi there! My fiance and I are thinking of planning our honeymoon in Japan for late summer/early fall of 2013. Unfortunately, neither of us have ever visited Japan and know very little about where to go. We are thinking of heading to Osaka and then working our way up to Tokyo, visiting various sites along the way (But nothing is set in stone, just what we've come up with so far). I was wondering if anyone could give suggestions of romantic places, cultural spots, or possibly even festivals that we should try to see/experience. The length of the trip will probably be about 1.5 to 2 weeks.
Unfortunately we know very little Japanese, but will be studying the language intently for the year, although it would probably be safe to say we won't be able to read much Kanji.
I would like to prepare as best as I can for this trip, I have wanted to visit Japan from a very small age, and have always been fascinated with Japanese culture and food. I hope to experience as many new and exciting things as I can! Going to an onsen is definitely a must on my list! I would also like to be a good guest to the people of Japan, so any tips/advice on important ways to be respectful are also very welcome. Thank you!

 

[Glenski]

Stick to the bigger cities to avoid/minimize language problems. There are English signs everywhere there.

As for festival schedules, either visit the JNTO site or just Google it.

Late summer/early fall will be hot and humid. Prepare. It won't be that romantic unless you can get away from it.

 

[Mike Cash]

I'll be following this thread with interest. "Japan" and "romantic destination" are two concepts I never thought I'd see mentioned together.

 

[Coyfish]

Late summer/early fall will be hot and humid. Prepare. It won't be that romantic unless you can get away from it.

Hm this is a very good point. Would the weather still be quite humid late in September, perhaps into early October?

---------- Post added at 12:35 ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 ----------

I'll be following this thread with interest. "Japan" and "romantic destination" are two concepts I never thought I'd see mentioned together.

Haha maybe it is not everyone's first choice, my fiance and I are more interested in culture (and dare I say adventure?) than sitting around on the beach.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I bet ..............

during the day you will be so overwhelmed by all the new sights and sounds you forget who you are with, LOL. By night, you will be so wore out from all the days activities , you fall asleep exausted immediately. Might not be so romantic , but you will never forget your trip.

Uncle Frank

 

[Iron Chef]

This doesn't really meet your criterion for what you had in mind but from my own personal experiences I found that the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido during early February is fantastic for ambiance and as close to a "romantic" feeling as I have ever experienced when I was with a lady friend. The ice structures illuminated at night are rather beautiful to behold and despite it being in the middle of winter, at night, and in Hokkaido... the numbing cold you might expect isn't that bad actually. The general mood is festive and the locals are very accommodating.

From Sapporo you could travel to Noboribetsu which is famous for its hot springs. And if you had the time and inclination, Otaru has some pretty good seafood, worth the trip imo. Yubari has some nice slopes if skiing is your thing as well. Mount Racey is a very nice resort hotel despite basically being in the middle of a mountainous country town, heh. All locations (Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Otaru, and Yubari) are relatively close and can be commuted rather easily. Just a suggestion anyways if you were open to itinerary ideas. Whatever you decide, best of luck and have a wonderful trip.

SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL

Noboribetsu travel guide - Wikitravel

Noboribetsu Grand Hotel (Noboribetsu, Japan) - Onsen Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

Otaru-Shi, Japan Vacations, Tourism, Guides, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants - Yahoo! Travel

Yubari Resort: Hotel Mount Racey

Hotel Mount Racey (Yubari, Japan) - Onsen Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

[Glenski]

Hm this is a very good point. Would the weather still be quite humid late in September, perhaps into early October?

Check this to give you an idea.
When to travel to Japan - Travel Weather

Depends on where you are.

LATE September and early October would be better than EARLY September, of course.

my fiance and I are more interested in culture (and dare I say adventure?) than sitting around on the beach.

Culture covers a lot of ground, and for someone who has never been to a certain country, everything is "culture". What interests you / doesn't interest you?

gardens (check out any of the top 3)
pearls (Mikimoto Pearl Island, divers, go further south to Kashkojima and stay on a romantic island overlooking pearl rafts at night http://web.travel.rakuten.co.jp/portal/my/info_page_e.Eng?f_no=4803)
shrines & temples (can't swing a dead cat without hitting one)
castles (there's that dead cat again)
tea ceremony
puppet shows
geisha/maiko (Kyoto )
festivals (October is prime time)
Imperial Palace
handmade paper (nice museum and workshop in south Shikoku not far from Kochi Washi Tour 2010 Part 2 Tosa Washi Museum)
aizome (indigo dyeing / goods)
A-bomb peace park and museum (Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
Mt. Fuji
sulfur pits
onsen & sento
sushi (and the ever-popular kaiten-zushi restaurants)

 

[Coyfish]

This doesn't really meet your criterion for what you had in mind but from my own personal experiences I found that the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido during early February is fantastic for ambiance and as close to a "romantic" feeling as I have ever experienced when I was with a lady friend. The ice structures illuminated at night are rather beautiful to behold and despite it being in the middle of winter, at night, and in Hokkaido... the numbing cold you might expect isn't that bad actually. The general mood is festive and the locals are very accommodating.

From Sapporo you could travel to Noboribetsu which is famous for its hot springs. And if you had the time and inclination, Otaru has some pretty good seafood, worth the trip imo. Yubari has some nice slopes if skiing is your thing as well. Mount Racey is a very nice resort hotel despite basically being in the middle of a mountainous country town, heh. All locations (Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Otaru, and Yubari) are relatively close and can be commuted rather easily. Just a suggestion anyways if you were open to itinerary ideas. Whatever you decide, best of luck and have a wonderful trip.

SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL

Noboribetsu travel guide - Wikitravel

Noboribetsu Grand Hotel (Noboribetsu, Japan) - Onsen Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

Otaru-Shi, Japan Vacations, Tourism, Guides, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants - Yahoo! Travel

Yubari Resort: Hotel Mount Racey

Hotel Mount Racey (Yubari, Japan) - Onsen Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

Wow I love this suggestion! Unfortunately we won't be able to go so early into the next year, but I definitely want to keep this in mind for a future trip. Thank you for posting the links in there as well, the ice and snow sculptures for the Sapporo Snow Festival are amazing! The Noboribetsu hotel looks very luxurious too!

---------- Post added at 07:39 ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 ----------

during the day you will be so overwhelmed by all the new sights and sounds you forget who you are with, LOL. By night, you will be so wore out from all the days activities , you fall asleep exausted immediately. Might not be so romantic , but you will never forget your trip.

Uncle Frank

Haha you're probably right! I showed your post to my fiance and he laughed because our California trip was pretty much exactly as you described! I'll have to remember to plan in a few nights where we can just have a relaxing evening together.

 

[Mike Cash]

Just don't try to cram too much territory into too little time. Otherwise your memories of Japan will be of train station platforms and sore feet.